How do you lose fat without losing muscle after 50?
To lose fat without losing muscle after 50, you need three things at the same time: a small calorie deficit, enough protein every day, and strength training that gets gradually harder. This approach is called body recomposition, and it's the first phase of the Forever Fit method that Mavy Wellness uses with its clients over 50.
How it works:
Lose slowly. About half a pound to one pound a week. Crash diets push your body to conserve energy and give up muscle.
Set a protein target. The Forever Fit method uses about 1.6 grams per kilogram of ideal body weight, roughly 0.8 grams per pound, spread across the day from plant foods.
Lift weights. Strength training is the signal that tells your body to keep its muscle while fat comes off.
Don't trust the scale alone. Track your waist, photos and strength. The scale can stall while your body changes.
Why this matters on a plant based diet: many people lose weight on whole food plant based eating but lose muscle with it, and end up lighter but weaker. Gary, a Mavy client who had eaten plant based since 2011, raised his protein from about 40 grams a day to 125 to 145 grams. He lost 14 pounds and 3.5 inches off his waist, and says he feels stronger and more toned.
What the research says. In a 2017 New England Journal of Medicine trial of 160 adults over 65 who were losing weight, those who did resistance training kept more of their lean muscle than those who only did aerobic exercise. [1] A 2018 review of 49 studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that protein helps resistance training build muscle, with the benefit leveling off around 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. [2] A 2011 study of athletes doing strength training found that losing weight more slowly, about 0.7% of body weight a week, led to better gains in lean mass and strength than losing twice as fast. [3]
Watch on the Forever Fit Podcast: What to Do If You Are Skinny Fat Over 50 (Ep. 402)
"As a physician, I deeply appreciate the strategic, nuanced approach of his 5-Phase Blueprint. The emphasis on reverse dieting is brilliant."
Angie Sadeghi, MD, Gastroenterologist and Plant-Based Health Expert, on Forever Fit
To get your own calorie and protein targets, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Villareal DT et al. (2017). Aerobic or resistance exercise, or both, in dieting obese older adults. New England Journal of Medicine 376:1943-1955. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28514618/
Morton RW et al. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine 52(6):376-384. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222/
Garthe I et al. (2011). Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 21(2):97-104.
About the author. Maxime Sigouin is the founder of Mavy Wellness (formerly FitVegan Coaching) and the author of Forever Fit, a book endorsed by physicians including Neal D. Barnard, MD, Laurie Marbas, MD, and James F. Loomis, MD. He has coached for more than six and a half years and, with his team, has coached nearly 1,300 adults over 50 on a whole food plant based diet. He hosts the Forever Fit Podcast, with more than 450 episodes.
Last updated: October 19, 2026. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
